A Match Made in Heaven
by ForteXD
Summary: Kagome is a successful matchmaker. Ironically though, she can never seem to find the right man for herself! When she secretly falls for a client, she'll do whatever it takes to be with him even if it means losing everything!Nom at Fanfic Elimination
1. What Are Friends For?

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own Inuyasha....Damn Sunrise Studios....wouldn't sell the rights to me...

**Summary: **Kagome is a successful matchmaker. Ironically though, she never seems to match herself up with the right man. When she unwittingly begins to fall for a client, she'll do whatever it takes to get him...even if it means losing everything in the process.

**A/N: **My friends, I have a new story! This idea has been percolating in my head for years now, but I only considered using it as the base for a fanfic a couple weeks ago. I'll now be balancing three fics- but, have no fear, "Shards of Our Memories" and "My Priest Charming" will still be moving at the same pace as always. The more I write, the more inspiration I seem to get. This story is so much fun to write- so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Review please!

"**A Match Made in Heaven"**

**CHAPTER 1: What Are Friends For?**

Why did it seem as if she always got stuck in the elevator with the blithering idiots, the homeless crazies and the jerks of the world? This morning was certainly no exception to what seemed to be a new law of the universe.

Another Monday in a large office building, and another ride up to the fifteenth floor to begin another exciting day in the world of matchmaking. Kagome decided her coffee would have tasted much better, had her ears not been assaulted by the steady stream of curses issuing from the mouth of the man beside her.

"You.....what? You fucking did _what_? Without my permission?"

Kagome winced, taking a hesitant sip of her coffee. God, she hoped he got off on the sixth floor. Otherwise, she might as well take the long, painful hike up nine flights of stairs. It was better than waking up to this kind of talk. The door opened and shut. Ah, to no avail. Nope. Not getting off on the sixth floor. Maybe if she shoved him out at the seventh....

"How many times do I have to tell you not to put your sticky fingers all over my personal life? It's called 'personal' for a reason, asshole!" The tall man beside her looked absolutely livid, if it could even be toned down to a simple word like that. His high cheekbones were ruddy with the redness of anger, and his tightened fist looked like it would have gladly cracked a hole in the muddy shininess of the elevator panels, had he not been afraid of being sued for the damages, and if the elevator compartment hadn't been completely packed.

"I am NOT going to think it over! This decision is final- you go and revoke it or....cancel it...or.........just DO IT!"

Kagome eyed the lit-up row of buttons on the control panel, her distorted fun-house mirror reflection in the wall beside her, and even scrutinized the in no way deceiving toupee of the middle-aged man in front of her. Inside, her mind ticked by the seconds to when she could get to her peaceful office.

"NO! I do _not _want to meet for drinks after work, you moron! Stop wasting my cell minutes, and go to work!" With an irritated flick, the white-haired man snapped the cell phone shut, and huffed out a growl. The inhabitants of the compartment sighed almost collectively in relief as the barrage of loud language finally ceased.

He suddenly became aware that almost everyone around him was shooting him an evil eye, and he colored slightly.

"WHAT?!" Nobody said anything.

Kagome rolled her eyes, glaring at the back of his head with venom. It was a wonder that people like him actually made it anywhere in the world, with their lack of tact. In fact, it was a wonder that anybody with his attitude and temper could actually keep a friend. _A friend of his must have the patience of Buddha, _she considered.

She'd had enough of mean people. She'd met far too many of them in a large city such as this. How did he sleep with himself at night?

Floor by floor, the workers began to trickle off. Ninth...then Tenth. And he still hadn't got off yet. She idly wondered why she had never seen him before, in her two years at the building. Maybe he was just a visitor. A hope beyond all hopes. Better yet, maybe he lived in Siberia and was forced to suffer through unimaginably horrible weather every day of his life.

While entertaining these thoughts, she barely noticed as he stepped off at the fourteenth floor. One flight below hers. Too close for her liking.

Bidding good riddance to him, Kagome clutched her small briefcase to her as the quaking elevator rounded up on the fifteenth floor.

X x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

About thirty minutes before Kagome had stepped on to the elevator ride of doom, her company, MatchMake, had received their first client of the day.

He was handsome- impressively so, and enough to make a fair share of the women in the city glow under his gaze. Sitting alone in the anteroom, he was casually slumped into one of the coarse chairs. He swept his expressive eyes over the calming watercolors on the pale blue walls, at the empty reception desk on the far end of the room. Tapping his fingers lightly on this thigh, he thought about how he only had fort-five minutes to kill before he had to be at work.

He smirked to himself. But this was far more important than avoiding a small slap on the wrist for being late. This visit could be life-changing....for more than one person.

He listened intently to the song playing softly on the speakers above him. Lyrics said something about true love being able to change a person...showing them new outlooks on life. How fitting. He hummed along gratefully. If this wasn't a good omen, than he didn't know what was.

A few more minutes, and a harrowed-looking girl popped into the room. "I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting, sir! I guess we're normally not used to customers coming in this early!"

The man pulled a charming grin, and two dimples creased on his face. He pointed to the hours painted on the window. "Nine thirty." He stated, simply.

Flustered confusion was plainly written on her pretty face. "It says you don't open until nine thirty. It's nine o'clock now, so technically you have nothing to apologize about. I'm the one who should be saying sorry, for making you come out here."

She flushed, realizing her mistake as she looked at the clock on the wall. "Oh.....I guess you're right! Well, no matter- I can get you set up right now since I have the time!"

He smiled widely once again, a row of perfect white teeth peeking out. "That would be just perfect." He moved with ease behind her, gracefully. Sango felt a little puzzlement falling over her. For someone so eager to contact dating services, he certainly didn't seem the type. Self-confident, handsome, successful. In fact, he looked like a man who knew his strengths- and knew just how to use them. She shrugged it off...it wasn't so unusual that even the most high-profile people were not romantically gifted in the slightest.

Moving expertly, Sango lead the man through the door on their left, and into her warmly-furnished office. She gestured for him to sit across from her at the desk, as she took her seat in her high-backed chair. Rolling open a file drawer at the base of the desk, she pulled out a thick packet of papers.

"And, your name is Sango?" he read the name placard on her desk. She smiled at him and nodded.

"I'm Miroku." He reached across the surface to shake her hand.

"It's very nice to meet you, Miroku....So, how did you hear about MatchMake Services?"

"There was an ad in the paper. I thought- 'there's no harm in trying.' So, here I am now!" He smiled sheepishly at her.

Sango returned the smile. "I always say the same thing." Pulling out a pen for him, she fixed her eyes on his face, wanting to ask the question that had been bugging her since she had seen him in the waiting room. "Forgive me if I seem rude- but I'm surprised that someone like you would need to use our services...."

Miroku processed the thought for a moment, and then broke out into loud laughter, as if the thought was hilarious. "You thought I wanted...? I suppose I'll have to explain myself, then..."

Sango stared at him inquisitively. "You....aren't here to get help from MatchMake?" she said, slowly.

Miroku leaned forward in his chair, placing his elbows on the desk in front of him. "See- here's the deal. There's this buddy of mine who I've known all my life. He's a great guy- smart, good-looking, talented- the works. The problem is that he's a bit...uptight....shall we say. Severe. He has trouble meeting girls and letting them get to known him."

Sango nodded, the picture becoming more focused. "So, you wanted to set him up with somebody with our help?"

Miroku nodded. "Exactly. So I came here to find out what your services offer."

Sango looked relieved. So she did have a possible client, and not just some man that had wandered in to the wrong offices. "So, does this friend of yours know you're going to all this trouble for his sake?"

Miroku laughed nervously. "Er...well.....the simple answer is no. But I'm sure he'll be fine with it.....once I explain the situation to him...and get him to calm down. You know, it's just part of his nature to be suspicious about this kind of thing...so I figured the only way to get it done is to do it myself."

Sango didn't look so convinced. "You do know that we need certain specific information to fill out the applications...i.e. credit card number, driver's license, home address, phone number....things that only the applicant would know?"

Miroku grinned once again, digging into his front jacket pocket, and coming out with a neatly-folded sheet of paper. "It's all right here." He tapped it with his index finger.

Sango lifted an eyebrow. "And....you got all that information how...?"

Miroku laughed. "Covert operations, my dear. It wasn't too hard to get these things. Besides, I'm going to pay for it. The scrooge wouldn't stand for it otherwise." He dug into his waist pocket to find his wallet.

Sango decided she didn't want to mess with the ties between friends....and dropped the question. Miroku set the page of numbers beside the application, and relaxed into his chair. "Before we start, I was hoping you could tell me exactly what MatchMake Services does for their clients."

Sango looked relaxed again. Now, this was easy. She and Kagome had designed the protocol for matching applicants, and it was her area of expertise.

"Of course," she said brightly. "First, the applicant must fill out personal information about him or herself in our in-depth survey." She pointed to the packet on the desk. "It asks all the basics, such as physical preferences, likes, dislikes. It also has a place for the applicant to specify in their own words what they search for in a match, and any special needs they have. After that, we do something that I believe makes us unique to all the other dating services. We actually match applicants by hand, instead of letting computers do the work. We've been very successful in this way."

Miroku nodded, obviously pleased by the idea. Sango continued on, speeding right on to the best part. "But, after the application process, we try to let our matches get a good chance to know each other. They are able to correspond with each other through e-mail, instant messengers or letters, to develop a bond that isn't physical. After they have done that, they can choose to meet on a blind date and continue the relationship from there. It takes commitment and patience- but we've found that those are some of the most prevalent qualities in the most successful relationships."

"I wholeheartedly agree, and I think I may just be sold on the idea."

Sango beamed. She was getting good at the sales area of business. "Well, if you'd like, you can either let your friend fill out the application...or, if you really feel you know him, you may do it yourself. I don't make any promises though."

Miroku winked at her. "No matter how much he tries to pretend, he's a softie at heart, and he does talk about what he likes and dislikes about certain women. I think I have a feel for what he needs."

Sango still felt a little doubtful....but knew that, with this man's resolve to help out his friend, she wouldn't really be able to change his mind.

Twenty minutes later, Miroku had finished the personal statement on the application, and had handed it to Sango. "Done?" she asked. He nodded in response, then realized, with a glance at her clock, that he had fifteen minutes to haul ass ten blocks down the road. He stood up gracefully, extending his hand once more to her.

She smiled, reacting to his relaxed presence. "Thank you very much for your business- and I assure you that we'll take special care to match your friend with the right person."

"I'm sure you will. I've got to go, though....work calls me." He shook her hand firmly. "Thank you so much for your help, Sango." She followed him out the door, waving to him as he left. After a few moments of thought on her own, she retreated back to her office to file the application. She vaguely wondered if she'd ever see Miroku again.

In the hallway of the fifteenth floor, in front of the elevator stop, Miroku dialed a familiar number on his cell phone, and waited for his friend to pick up.

Boy, was Inuyasha going to blow a gasket when he heard about this.

X x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Kagome stepped from the elevator on the fifteenth floor, and was pleasantly surprised to see a handsome man standing on the other side of the doors. He greeted her politely as they traded places, and the doors closed behind her. At least there was _one _nice man in the building this morning.

She breezed in to the MatchMake waiting room, automatically heading to her private office to set down her belongings. Sango greeted her cheerily from the kitchenette as she stirred cream into her coffee.

"So, who was that man out there by the elevator? A new client of ours?"

Sango giggled to herself as she joined her friend and business partner in the main room of the offices. "Kind of...." Kagome raised an eyebrow, heading to grab a bagel from the bag on the counter. "It's a rather funny story. I at first assumed he was here for himself.."

"....He didn't seem the type..."

"Exactly my thought. He actually came so that he could set his friend up on a date. Says the guy is really great, but it sounds like he has trouble opening up to girls. Of course, he thought our program sounded perfect. So, it seems as if we've got a mystery client on our hands."

Kagome grinned. "Sounds like a caring friend. This mystery guy should feel lucky that his buddy cares so much."

Sango nudged Kagome in the ribs, as she winked suggestively. "Maybe you want me to set you up with a guy? I can be caring too, you know?"

Kagome rolled her eyes and groaned loudly. "Sango....how many times do I have to tell you that I don't need your help...?"

Sango giggled. "Just kidding. Oh, by the way- Kouga called. It seems since his date with that Ayame girl didn't pan out, he thinks that you and him are destined for each other."

Kagome sighed, defeated. "What'd you tell him this time?"

"What did you think I told him? The truth- clients and employees don't date. He should know that by now."

Kagome looked grateful. "Thank goodness for the company rules that we wrote..." She took a bite of her bagel, chewing heavily. "So..." her tone lightened. "Since that guy's not a client, want me to set you up with him?"

Sango growled playfully, as she walked back into her office. "I have work to do! Let's agree not to meddle anymore....okay?"

Kagome grinned. "I will if you will!"

After a long moment of thought, Sango smiled sneakily, and, without an answer, slammed the office door shut behind her.

X x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

**A/N: **Some of you may think you can smell this plot from a mile away- but, I think you may be surprised. I plan to throw in couple twists, as well as some handsome men, romantic moments, humor, and a dash of misunderstanding to spice things up. Chapter 2, titled "No Thank You, and Good Night!" should be up shortly.

Review please!


	2. No Thank You, and Good Night!

**DICSCLAIMER: **I do not own Inuyasha.

**A/N: **Thanks to the people that reviewed! I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter. I love writing the banter in this fic. The four main characters are just a blast to write. Anyway, I got a few questions about the repost thing...er...heh heh....just blame it on me being really really stupid really really late at night. Wanted to replace my chapter with an uploaded document, and, with one click of a button, I accidentally deleted the entire story. I'm such a genius....

Please read and review!

"**A Match Made in Heaven"**

**CHAPTER 2: No Thank You, and Good Night!**

_Stupid Miroku. Stupid Miroku. Stupid Miroku... _

Inuyasha chanted to himself under his breath. He was finding that it was fast becoming a mantra of his....a kind of saying for all occasions.

He supposed he had denied the fact long enough- his best friend was an idiot. Inuyasha glowered at the blank computer screen in front of him, vaguely considering that he would look insane, had any of the other partners walked in on him at that precise moment. It had been a day since Miroku had submitted the application to the dating service, and Inuyasha had been simmering at his desk for almost a half an hour, conjuring up new and creative ways of inflicting bodily harm upon his friend.

He had had just about enough of Miroku trying to "help out." His face reddened deeply as he recalled the last woman Miroku had thrown him at. In fact, she....well....it....hadn't actually been a woman. Miroku had conveniently blamed it on the poor lighting in the smoky bar, but Inuyasha had from then on sworn off trusting his friend's intuition about matters of the heart.

Besides, Inuyasha knew exactly what he wanted- and it definitely wasn't something that a cheap, senseless and computerized dating service could offer. He wanted someone with fire, spunk, intelligence, beauty- all qualities that a machine wouldn't be able to read through an application. He scowled darkly.

He hoped that Miroku had contacted this dating place and straightened out the mess. Otherwise, they'd both be in trouble.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

A floor above, Kagome was settling down industriously to begin her work for the day. Every day they received brand new, fascinating applicants- and today was no exception. She moved her eyes over the latest files, her quick mind automatically snatching up bits of basic information about each to store in her brain. This was precisely why their company had been so successful. The two women at the head of operations knew what qualities meshed well with each other, and usually came out with high success. They were also both very observant about the tiny details imbedded within applications.

Having finished reviewing them, Kagome decided to choose one at random as a starting ground. Weeding her fingers into the pile, she came up with the most unlikely suspect.

_My mystery client... _she thought, wryly to herself. Though all the applicants were protected under privacy rules of the company and therefore were technically also enigmas, the fact that his name or description had not even been provided made him all the more intriguing. _OK, mystery man....let's see what you've got for me. _Leaning back in her chair, she began working over the details of the application.

He was successful and intelligent- that was apparent from his salary and his education. He was tall. He liked animals. Favorite music- jazz and classic rock. Hobbies- martial arts, sports, reading. Age- twenty seven. Previous marriage- none. All in all, the stats were adding up to be a normal applicant. Could be any desk jockey you passed on the street. Wanted a girlfriend to make him feel validated and less lonely. Possibly feeling at a loss, and inadequate next to his married friends.

All pretty obvious in a twenty or thirty-something man's profile. Bordering on desperation, usually.

Feeling as if the masked man was already disappointing her with his dull profile, she moved lazily to the last page, where the applicant (or in this case, the friend) had the opportunity to describe exactly who they were, what they desired of the services, and what they were looking for in a potential mate.

Though she understood that the man himself had not written the words on the paper, she felt a kind of surprise at the ideas presented on the five by five, pre-lined space of the back page of the application:

_He's the best man I have ever met. Though flawed, he's observant, thoughtful, loyal and one of the sharpest minds around. He does not seem to be lonely, but yet he seems to have a constant mission. He needs a woman that can really match his intelligence and be his equal. Not a trophy wife, but a true ally. He has difficulty sharing his true meaning and desires with others, and therefore, is never able to find what he needs most. I believe he could very well live his entire life without a true love- but I hope that he may find it. A real woman with wit and patience could let him settle down, soften up, and become truly happy. _

Kagome read the paragraph over again, marveling at how beautifully the man had described his friend. Perhaps he wasn't so normal, after all. It sounded as if he had no desperation, no feelings of inadequacy....just a constant desire for his soul mate. She noted it as something out of a romance novel- sincere but almost sickeningly sweet in its idealism. She wondered to herself if this man really knew his friend this well, or if he had over-thought the description a bit too much.

"Having fun with the International Man of Mystery?" Sango had sauntered into her office.

"I'm glad we've finally learned his name." Kagome responded, dryly.

Sango giggled, slumping into the chair across from Kagome. "Well- how does the application look? Anything juicy? A murderous past perhaps? A Mafia boss?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Don't get your hopes up. But, he is more interesting then I expected. Check this out...." She slid the open packet to Sango, watching her friend skim over the lines.

Sango looked impressed, handing the application back to Kagome. "Miroku didn't lie when he said he knew his friend- beautiful writer, too. He definitely sounds different than your run-of-the-mill blind date, I guess....Did you find any potential matches?"

Kagome shook her head, yawning widely. "I haven't really looked yet. Do you have any good ones?"

Sango thought for a moment, her lips pursed in thought, as her mind scanned over the stats and names she had covered in the past couple hours. With a start, an idea popped into her brain. "Actually....I think there may be one girl.." Without an explanation, she moved out of the office, and Kagome heard her banging around the file cabinets, digging out an application.

A minute or two later, she had rejoined Kagome in the office, a sole packet clutched in her hands. "This one," she said, simply, handing the application to her friend. "She seems to be one of the smartest female applicants I've seen in a long time. She's well-educated, sounds worldly, and she says that above of all, she's looking for someone who is 'more mature.' She's 'in between relationships,' and she's only two years older than him."

Kagome looked appraisingly at the survey and then at the paragraph. "I think this may be our best try. Why don't I see if these two match up, and, if so, I'll contact them both to let them know there's been a match!"

Sango looked pleased. It was always a relief when they found two people who even seemed to fit into the same walk of life, let alone corresponding age group or range of desires. She nodded smartly, satisfied that she had helped Kagome's progress, and turned to leave.

"Oh, Sango- before I forget. I have to leave a little bit earlier than normal today- can you finish filing everything on your own?"

Sango raised her eyebrows in a steep arch. "Early? What for? Got a hot date with some steamy hunk?"

"Yeah...don't I wish...No, I'm having dinner at the shrine tonight. It's Souta's eighteenth birthday tonight, and my mother is making a special dinner. Of course, it's a command appearance," she said, tiredly.

Sango smiled widely. "Of course it's OK....though, you don't sound too thrilled about going..."

Kagome sighed low. "It would be great if EVERY time I visited, my grandpa and mother didn't pester me about getting married. They think I'm going to become an old maid if I wait a second longer."

"You're already a spinster. You might as well give up."

"Point taken. Now, if you want to leave my office before we start discussing _your _non-existent love life..."

And Sango had disappeared with the door shut neatly behind her before you could say "Old Maid."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Kagome stepped onto the elevator, somewhat comforted by the fact that the compartment was empty. It was hard to relax and gather her thoughts if she had to keep her professional face on around the staunch businessmen in her building. Instead, she slumped tiredly against the cool panels of the wall. Heels were painful.

The ride down was faster than normal, making very few stops. Once she reached the lobby, Kagome made her way to the parking garage through the heavy metal door at the far right. She glanced at her watch, and, noticing that she was running late for Souta's birthday dinner, she began to jog through the hall to get to her car faster. The clack of her heels bounced off the white-washed walls, as she shoved through the adjacent door, around a corner- and straight into a person.

The collision caused an immediate chain reaction of flying papers and muffled curses, as Kagome skidded to a stop. She was now reminded of why she should never run blindly around corners, and she scolded herself.

"I'm so sorry.....I really should have been paying more attention..."

"Yeah, you're right- you should have." The softly scathing voice cut through her apology like a blade.

Kagome jolted, and looked up indignantly into an all-too-familiar face. She colored bright red, recognition dawning on her. "You-!" She fixed her finger at him. It was the Mean Guy from the elevator!

He looked at her with a bored, sardonic smile. "Me! Yeah...so? Do you always run into people and then point at them accusingly?" His taunting, smooth voice ripped back at her.

She blew out frustration, ignoring the papers strewn at her feet- the ones she had knocked out of his hands. "No! Only assholes!"

He stared at her quizzically, arms folded tightly across his broad chest. He snorted. "Have we met before, little girl?"

Kagome sucked in a sharp breath, her temper boiling up. She didn't know why he was making her so riled up- she usually was so controlled. After all, she had been used to opposition from male coworkers, bosses, businessmen, every day of running her own business. She hadn't even spoken to this man before now, but the overwhelming arrogance and dismissal with which he regarded her made her want to slap him.

"I was there in the elevator yesterday when you were cussing at your poor friend...or do YOU always treat your friends like that?" she returned, pointedly.

Inuyasha looked confused for a moment, then yesterday's elevator ride came back to him. "Him?!" he exploded. "God, you should meet the prick before you start making assumptions about how I treat him! Anyway....anybody who lies and deceives their best friend like that deserves to get....wait! Why in the hell am I telling you all this?" This girl was nuts.

She blushed again, remembering again that they were in the middle of an echoing parking garage, and that she had the one to cause him trouble. She regretfully gritted out another apology to him, her eyes burning into his gold ones. "I'm sorry to have caused you trouble, sir," the words did not even pretend to be sincere. "Now let me help you with this....." _....So I never have to see you again._

He glared at her, watching smugly as she crouched down to gather up the fallen papers. _What a pig! _She thought, fuming. _He's not even pretending to help!_

Once she had grudgingly gathered the papers in a haphazard stack, she stood up grandly, and unceremoniously shoved the papers into Inuyasha's hands. "There!" She nearly shouted fiercely in his face. Turning on her heel, she stalked off to her car.

He stared after her, his face a mottled mix of anger and surprise. "Weirdo..." he muttered.

"I _heard _that!" She didn't even bother to turn around, though her fingers clenched harder over her briefcase handle.

For some reason, Inuyasha felt like he wanted to stick his tongue out at her back.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Kagome had spent the better half of her drive down the highway on the outskirts of town thinking very angry thoughts, her blood becoming hot at the thought of the way the man had treated her. _Where does he get off acting that way- I mean, really?!_ But, as the drive had lengthened, the engine purred beneath her, and the sunlight on the horizon had waned into the pinks and oranges of sunset, she gradually began to calm down. She had decided that she wouldn't let his impoliteness ruin the night for both her and her family.

Now, sitting around the crowded kitchen table in the warmly-lit room, she felt the coziness of home ease her nerves like always_. Nothing like a home-cooked meal and weird family members to distract you, _she thought

Upon arrival, she had immediately seized her younger brother in a playful hug, teasing him about finally becoming a man. The two were close, in both their relationship and their physical likeness. They both were slender, handsome, with the same shining dark hair and eyes.

Her mother offered her another helping of her special-cooked fish, and Kagome accepted, knowing that her well-meaning mother would not take no for an answer. Her grandfather scrabbled at the food in front of him with his chopsticks, somberly shoving the rice around in a circle. Kagome rolled her eyes at her grandpa, not worried at all that he had taken to dramatics....because she knew what was coming next.

Mrs. Higurashi smiled brightly, as she fixed her father-in-law with a concerned stare. "Are you alright, Grandpa?"

He muttered something creakily, as he cleared his throat. Kagome sighed as she pushed a piece of the sweet fish past her lips. He was starting up again, like a broken old motor. "I may not be around very much longer..." He wheezed purposefully. Kagome knew that there was enough life in those old bones to last another lifetime. "And I think that it is high time you were married, Kagome!"

Kagome nodded blankly, knew she had guessed correctly. This was exactly the reason why she had dreaded coming. She tried desperately to pass up the subject, by turning to her younger brother. "So, what do you want for your birthday, Souta?" Her brother looked confused, hated being caught in the middle of the dangerous discussion of his sister and boys.

Her mother ahem-ed quietly, bringing the attention of the three to herself. "Now, I think that you should listen to your grandfather, Kagome dear."

Kagome stared at her widely, her mouth opening like a fish's. "But Mama- I can't just...GET married....I'm not exactly old, you know....only twenty-five! And, why is it any of your business in the first place!" She pouted.

Her grandfather sighed loudly, edging on. "Yes, but who will I pass on the burden of Higurashi Shrine to once I am gone?"

"Souta can do it!"

"I'm not doing it!"

Her mother looked primly ahead for a moment, seemingly shutting out the din around her. Then, with the swift and practiced conflict resolution of a mother, she shoved a plateful of pickled vegetables at her father-in-law. "Won't you taste it?" The question begged action, and he reluctantly accepted a piece of the bitter vegetable.

Smiling sweetly, Kagome's mother turned to her daughter. "You know, there's a really sweet boy that I think would be just perfect for you- I'm very close with his mother. The family name is Hojo."

"I don't want you to set me up with anyone! If I needed that, I would do it myself- I own a dating service, for goodness sake!" She scowled again. "I can find a man on my own." She didn't like how, when she spoke those words, the image of the man in the parking garage had flashed into her mind. Why had he popped into her brain, and not someone else from the elevator? Who cared if he was handsome, anyway....he was exactly the opposite of what she wanted!

Souta snickered, finally venturing to join in the heated conversation. "Want me to hook you up with one of my friends?"

Kagome almost growled at him, but instead turned to her mother, holding out her empty plate with a deceptive smile. "May I have seconds?" She was asking for more food, which signified that the conversation was over.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

**A/N: **So who's this mystery woman that they're gonna pair Inuyasha up with? (No, really, if you don't get this, I'll be worried.) Well, I hope you liked that. Inuyasha is really mean, isn't he? Hehe he's fun to write that way. Have no fear- this IS and InuKag fic....

Please let me know what you think so far! Chapter 3 will be up soon!


	3. Your New Friend

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own Inuyasha. Obviously, I'm really skewing the storyline here...what with Inuyasha being able to use a computer and all...

**A/N: **Wheeeee! I got a pretty darn big response from the first two chapters! I'm so glad that everyone has been enjoying it. Thank you so much to everyone that reviewed! You people are what keep me writing! Just to let everyone know, this fic will be eight chapters (I have everything planned out). I'll try my best to post in reasonable amounts of time, but since I'm writing three other fics (including a newer, darker story called "Unforgiven") not to mention four AP classes and school Newspaper, it may be a bit hectic. But, please bear with me!

R&R please!

"**A Match Made in Heaven"**

**CHAPTER 3: Your New Friend**

Miroku felt that his elevator ride this morning was shaping up to be the best part of his day. Two beautiful, friendly women had accompanied him all the way through fourteen floors. Kagome and Sango, immediately recognizing him, had greeted Miroku warmly as they joined him in the compartment.

He now moved jauntily down the hall of level fourteen, whistling a light tune as he headed towards Inuyasha's office. Without even bothering to knock, he burst through the door, then leaned against the doorframe dramatically, a romantic sigh painted on his face. He smiled brightly at his friend, who was raising a displeased eyebrow at him.

"Ah, Inuyasha- you are lucky! To have such beautiful women work in the floor above yours! Dark hair....nice eyes....nice curves..." he raised an eyebrow appreciatively.

Inuyasha didn't even look up, focusing stonily on the paper he had been reading. Maybe if he ignored him long enough, the persistent man would just give up and go away. No such luck. Taking no heed of his silence, Miroku moved towards the darkly-furnished desk with his hands dug into his pants pockets.

"And do you know what kind of work they do....?" He baited Inuyasha, knowing full well that he wouldn't ask.

"I don't care," was the curt response. Miroku smirked to himself. He knew his old friend too well. Miroku plopped down in the chair in front of Inuyasha's desk, the hostile tone rolling off his back.

"So you're still mad at me, huh?"

Inuyasha fixed him with a searing glare that answered his question. Inuyasha returned to his work. "So, are you actually still employed, or did they finally realize what a moron you are?" he retorted, icily.

"Oh, don't be so sour. It was especially important that I visit you this morning."

Inuyasha grunted meaningfully. "Well, I'm busy. You contacted that dating thing, right- and cleared it all up?" Miroku was silent longer than Inuyasha liked, and his head snapped up viciously. "Don't tell me...you didn't call them?!" His tone threatened more than just biting words.

Miroku held up his hands in a feeble attempt to calm Inuyasha. "Just hear me out!"

_GLARE._

"I really think you should give this a try!"

That was not the response his friend wanted to hear. "And I really think you should keep your nose where it belongs- OUT of my business! And, I already told you- I don't need help from you, or from any _stupid_ dating place!"

Miroku sighed, suddenly growing serious. "Look- just do this for me- please? They just let me know that they found a match for you."

Inuyasha lowered an eyebrow suspiciously. "Yeah- she's probably pig-faced, crippled and doesn't speak a word of English, you cheap bastard!" It was the same scowl that usually sent delivery boys scrambling to get out of his office, and kept unruly clients with their high ideals, in line.

Miroku tried to placate him once more. "Listen to me- she's going to contact you through e-mail. If you like her, you can write her back. If not....well, then we can't say we didn't try, right?"

Inuyasha looked half defeated, and half like he wanted to find a way to get Miroku to leave his office. "OK..." He grumbled, grudgingly.

Miroku leaned forward as if he hadn't heard correctly, relishing the moment. "I'm sorry...can you repeat that?" He was enjoying this far too much, and they both knew it.

"I'll at least read what she has to say- but anything weird, and I won't continue with this. Happy?"

Miroku grinned, clapping his hands together. "Joyous. I'll let them know." He leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped behind his head. He then noticed how Inuyasha was scowling at him once more. "What?!"

"Out."

"Oh, yes, of course!" Inuyasha growled out a sigh as the dark-haired man left.

What in the world had he let Miroku get him into?

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

After his lunch break that day, Inuyasha made a routine check of his e-mail, finding that he had one new message. Despite himself, he couldn't help but feel curious. Could this possibly be a letter from this anonymous woman? He entered his inbox with a small amount of hesitation. He found that, yes, it was from a "MatchMake User."

He assumed they would make contact through the MatchMake Services...that is, if he chose to respond. He clicked on the message, and began reading. All at once, new feelings washed over him- ones that he couldn't quite identify. Was it relief that this woman sounded halfway normal? Maybe a little bit of disappointment that Miroku had been right in assuming he had a chance with a dating service?

But, intrigued, Inuyasha's eyes became glued to the screen:

_Dear MatchMake Buddy,_

_Before I introduce myself, I'd like to clarify that it wasn't my choice to contact a dating service....it was the idea of my younger sister. But, she convinced me to try it out...and here I am now. I hope you don't think me foolish if I feel reluctant to meet someone via anonymous methods. So, if you'll give me a chance, I think we can try to get to know each other, no strings attached just yet. I'm a twenty-nine year-old woman who works in the field of medicine._

_I await your answer,_

_Your New Friend_

He smiled to himself, admiring how her words bordered on poetic, with an underlying politeness and formality. It seemed as if they had both found themselves stuck in the same situation, and that made him feel comforted. He also felt the compulsion to respond, as the words welled up in him. She had said she worked in the field of medicine- was she a doctor? She sounded intelligent.

Feeling a bit of intrigue from reading her words, and a spontaneous desire to learn more about her- no strings attached- he moved the keyboard to settle beneath his fingertips. Inuyasha pulled up a blank e-mail, and began to respond to the anonymous woman.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Kagome liked food tremendously. Therefore, the brief respite she got during her lunch hour was enhanced greatly by her deli sandwich. She relaxed into the cheap rolling chair, breathing in the silence around her. It seemed as if, for the moment, she was alone in the main room.

It was nice peace and quiet after a day of the phones ringing off the hook and the computers buzzing noisily. It seemed as if their new ad in the paper, featuring an attractive couple dressed in swim attire, had attracted lots of new business. She had been busy taking and filing the applications, astounded by the volume. _It looks like I'll have to hire some more help. _Their current tiny employee number of eight certainly wouldn't do for very much longer.

Though, while she had been swamped all day, her mind still hung around that mystery man of hers- and the fact that the match they had found for him might have contacted him by now. Would he respond back immediately? Would he even respond? More than usual, she already felt attached to this new couple they had created.

And, suddenly, the silence was split by a "bing" noise from the nearest computer. It meant a response had been sent through their computer system. Kagome paused in mid-bite, her mind tracing over the possibilities. She rolled her chair over to the offending computer, tapping a few keys with her fingers to check the sender.

It was him. She felt a small thrill. The devious side in her was nagging at her- louder and louder. She wanted to read what he had written- to see what kind of a person he really was. She knew it was against the rules to look- they were supposed to respect the privacy of their clients.

_But it won't hurt just once, will it? _She looked over her shoulder furtively, feeling like a criminal in her own office. Licking her lips nervously, Kagome leaned forward, and opened up the e-mail response:

_Dear New Friend,_

_It's a relief to see that you are in the same position as I am. My best friend tricked me into this, but, somehow, I'm glad he did. It's a relief after so long in the business world to be able to talk to a normal, honest, woman- and to be able to get the chance to know her. You sound very nice and very intelligent, and I look forward to being able to learn more about you. I am twenty-seven, and I work in finances. I now leave my life open to discussion._

_Your anonymous man,_

_Giorgio Armani_

Kagome giggled aloud, then self-consciously clapped a hand over her mouth. She found it amusing that he had chosen to use the name of the fashion designer as his moniker, imagining him glancing at the tag of his jacket to find a suitable name. She already liked the way he crafted his words, and the sincerity in his response.

She wondered how his friend could have described him as having a "hard time opening up" to others. His words had seemed to flow out naturally, honestly. Perhaps the anonymous nature of the conversation made it easier for him....

She clicked the response closed, pleased that she had put the two together. This could turn out to be a happy union, if things went correctly. Humming lightly, Kagome rolled back to her momentarily forgotten sandwich, and continued the bite she had left off on.

She was glad that the two had seemed to create a bond so quickly. She spun around to take a glance at the woman's real name.

Kagome hoped that this Kikyo Matsumori would treat her newest customer in the way he deserved.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

**A/N: **I know- pretty short, huh? But, things will definitely pick up more in the next chapter, titled **"The Slip**.**" **More Kagome and Inuyasha interaction, along with some development in the romance department to keep everyone entertained! Please Review!


	4. The Slip

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha..I only own this feeble manifestation of him that resides in fan fiction... 

**A/N: **Thanks for all the support from everyone! Wow...I'm so glad that you all love this story as much as I do!

...So, yeah...well, just so you guys know, I had a problem lately with someone assuming that I had stolen this (very generic) story idea from Jazz the Wolf Demon's "Breaking the Rules," though I'd never read her story before. So....if you are ever wondering...Yes, this is my own story, and I would never dream of stealing anyone else's ideas. That's counter-productive to what I want to accomplish as a writer. It's just an unfortunate coincidence that some of our key phrases and basic character ideas are somewhat similar (though are plotlines are very different after the first chapter). Check out her stuff sometime, though. She's a really great writer, and was very sweet about the whole mess!

Well, enough of that! Onto the good stuff....and, as always, don't forget to **review!**

"A Match Made in Heaven" 

**CHAPTER 4: The Slip**

Fridays were becoming a plague. He didn't know about the rest of the inhabitants of his office building, but he would have paid a good part of his paycheck, had he been able to forfeit Fridays as a free day. The feeling that always hung around you, when you sat at your desk trying to focus on letters and figures. It was enough to drive someone mad. So close to the weekend, but yet so far. The bright blue of an afternoon sky in early February would taunt him from the other side of the window.

Inuyasha only contented himself with remembering that once the day was over, he could take a much-needed weekend of rest. He would have plenty to keep his mind occupied....such as his new mystery pen pal. He was ignoring the stench of close-together bodies that the morning elevator ride brought, as a small flicker of a sigh drifted into his features.

She had sounded so down the last time she had wrote him. Over the past few weeks, they had been corresponding nightly, their letters mostly focusing on quirky anecdotes about their days at work, stories about their family and friends. But Inuyasha was looking forward to finding out about her personal life. They had told each other little so far. Perhaps soon he would find out what ailed her.

He had noticed, indirectly through her last letter, that she had come across as more detached then usual. It was normal for the woman to have an air of seriousness and wistfulness to her words, but this time was different then the others. There had been a twinge of hopelessness, confusion. Why was it? He had racked his brain for possible situations, but seeing as how he knew little about her except that she was born in winter and worked in the medical field somewhere in the lower East side of town, he was at a loss. He wanted her to lose that sadness- for her to let herself go, be open, happy and humorous.

More people shuffled onto the elevator. Inuyasha backed closer to the wall. Now, really, this was becoming ridiculous. He cursed under his breath. Only so many bodies could fit into one compartment and still have room enough for the oxygen. He glared, hoping that maybe he could get more personal space this way. But, nobody was paying attention to his discontented face.

And then he saw her. _That girl... _She was primly wedged between two roly-poly men in cheap suits, her dark hair cascading in waves down her back, her body shaped nicely in her sharp, pin-striped skirt and jacket. His eyes burned into her back, as if willing her to turn around.

It was impossible for them to avoid each other, it seemed. They always arrived and left around the same time. They always used the same door to get to the parking garage. Some days they even parked right next to each other. He wondered why he had never noticed her before. Maybe the fact that she had ran headlong into him at the garage, inducing him to spit insults at her, had made him notice her faster....

They hadn't exchanged words since, though. If they were walking through the lobby at the same time, Kagome would conveniently have to veer off towards the women's restrooms. If they spotted each other in the elevator, he would automatically pretend that she didn't exist. But, now, she couldn't see him, and his mind was racing around in a kind of muddled confusion.

She was so infuriatingly.....different. He couldn't quite wrap his mind around her. No woman had ever treated him the way she had- with such contempt and guile. Though it wasn't exactly reassuring to his ego, it definitely was refreshing. All the women in his offices, in his line of work, never said anything below super-polite, below diplomatic. She was the fire-eyed, uncouth tomboy next to them.

His eyes softened slightly, as he pored them over her body once more. Yes, she might have also been a knockout, without that temper. She was curvy in all the right places, sweet-lipped, with thick lashes and beautiful gray eyes.

She just wasn't as demure as say, his mystery woman that was waiting with a new letter for him to reply to.

The fourteenth floor arrived in no time, as Inuyasha wallowed in his thoughts. The doors slid open, and a couple people in the front began to shuffle for an exit. He realized quickly that he would have to pass by the girl in order to get to his floor. His brain tugged at him for a moment, willing him to actually let her notice him this time. After all, it might be nice to pester her just a little.

He shoved forward, muttering "excuse me" roughly, and out of habit. Purposefully, he jarred her shoulder just a little, bumped her hip noticeably. He felt like snickering, as she made a small noise of indignation. As he exited the elevator, he turned to face her. He was intent on sticking his tongue out at her to up the stakes- really, he was...

But for some reason, all that came out was a devious smile and a wink.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

He had winked at her? Kagome watched him leave through the crack of the closing doors, the expression of quick anger now dissolving into confusion. Their plans to ignore each other seemed to have turned into some kind of game. Maybe she would have to find out why he had suddenly acted so....infuriatingly weird.

She came into the MatchMake offices, like always, a half an hour after Sango the early riser had arrived. Sango was already busy on the phone, using her best sweet-yet-forceful tone to get the editor of the classified section of the paper to allow her more room for an ad. Kagome entered her friend's office, her eyes falling on a new stack of applications that had been sent in. Looked as if there would be enough work to keep her busy, not that she had had a problem with lack of things to work on.

Kagome picked up the new set of applications, and moved out into the main room, where two of the other women that worked with them were settling down to their respective computers. "Here you go, guys- ten more!" With a proud smile, she doled out half to each, and they set to work.

"Kagome!" Sango was calling her from her office, obviously having finished her phone call.

"So, did they give you a larger space?"

"Yes, but only after twenty minutes of begging..."

"You and your feminine wiles..." Kagome winked at Sango.

"Yes, yes, I do what I must." She had swiveled around to face her computer, obviously stuck with a new thought. "I have something to show you."

Kagome raised an eyebrow, leaning on the edge of the desk. "What is it?"

Within a few seconds, Sango had clicked open something, and was sitting back in her chair to admire it. "Come look." Kagome, dumfounded, stepped over to the other side of the desk to look at whatever it was.

It was an image of a woman with long, dark hair, and a saddened smile on her face. Wintry white skin, and soulful eyes. Sango laid her finger on the computer screen. "You know that woman that we ended up matching with our mystery guy? Well, this is her. I just find it really odd...she looks a lot like you."

Kagome gulped. "Well, I don't know...she doesn't look _that _much like me..." Sango was right, she looked almost exactly like Kagome...it _was_ very odd.

She could hear to incredulity in Sango's voice as she replied. "What are you talking about? Besides the fact that she's a few years older, you two could be twins!"

Kagome studied the picture in front of her, with a tiny bit of regret sprouting in her heart. Why was part of her saying the she wished it were true- that she and this woman were twins? Because then she could speak to the mystery client on her own...and then have one of the only sensible bachelors in town. She tried to ignore the new feeling of envy, as she stepped away from the computer screen.

"I've got some work to do..."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Inuyasha rolled open the file drawer, thumbing quickly through the manila folders until he reach the one marked with an "S" and he deposited the finished spread sheet. His work was finally done. As soon as he packed up, he could leave and go relax at home. He slid the drawer door shut, and rolled back in his chair. He would check his email first. The woman had probably written him back.

His spirits lifting just a bit higher, he began to click through his folders to find the inbox. This is what he had waited for all day- to hear from her again. He pulled open the inbox, and saw, with a slight shock of disappointment, that there was no new letter. That was odd. She had always responded to him within hours. She was probably busy with work, and would write to him that night.

Inuyasha sighed, turning off his computer, clicking his tongue at himself. He was really becoming attached to her, wasn't he?

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Kagome rubbed her eyes furiously, trying desperately to rid them of the dry blurriness. She glanced at the clock, noticing that it was almost ten o'clock already. And she was still at her office, hunched over her computer. The day had brought so many new applicants, bringing new complications in organization, and plenty of phone calls to be made, e-mails to be sent.

She sat back in her desk chair, her limbs feeling drained. She should know better than to push herself this much on a Friday. She could finish this all up on Monday. If she could wait, then the clients could wait as well. Besides, she needed a hot meal and sleep more than anything.

Before she shut down her computer, she moved her mouse to make one last check to her e-mail inbox, making sure she had responded to all the most important messages. Rolling her eyes tiredly over the letters. A name caught her eyes immediately, and she swooped in to read the mail.

It was from Kikyo. The woman that had looked like her...the woman Kagome had wished she could be. Why had she contacted Kagome directly? Was she unhappy with the company?

Her eyebrows drew down low over her eyes as she read the words:

_Dear Ms. Higurashi,_

_I have been a client of your services for a few weeks now, and have been corresponding with a wonderful man over that period. I thank you so much for introducing me to him, as he has been nothing but generous and sweet. That is why I cannot break the news to him._

_As I specified in my application, I was in between relationships. Now, I know I can't turn away from my old life. My boyfriend, Onigumo, and I have reconciled our differences, and are now trying to make a life together. He wants me back, and I realize the error of my ways. I can no longer continue writing to the match you made for me- I do not want to lead him on, and he deserves someone who can give him their heart. I am not that person. I would be grateful if you contact him, and let him know of the news._

_My sincerest apologies,_

_Kikyo Matsumori_

Kagome felt her jaw go slack, and she felt her eyes were deceiving her. Their perfect match- it had been an instant hit. They had both been intelligent, enjoyed each other. It was the couple she had been rooting for. This man, this mystery man....now she would have to be the one to break the news to him. She, who had found him so fascinating, would be the one to break his heart, and to really convince him how useless dating services were.

She silently cursed Kikyo, though she knew that the circumstances were probably far more complicated than she knew. Unwillingly, Kagome had found herself very attached to a client. And now...she wouldn't be remotely connected to him anymore.

Her forehead creased in thought. She couldn't have believed that she had a chance with him, could she? It was her job to match and to administrate, not to fall in love. But, deep inside, something about him had caused her to entertain the idea. Of a dashing, handsome, masked man. A secret love that only he and her would know. It was crazy, she knew...but the lonely part of her wanted it to be true. To live vicariously through Kikyo. To read his sweet and honest letters, and wish that he was writing to her instead.

How would she tell him? Could she wait the weekend, spare him the news until Monday? Or should she let him and her dreams free now?

Kagome chastised herself as she buried her head in her hands. _Come on, Kagome. Get yourself together. You had foolish hopes. This is your business. Write to the man and tell him you're sorry._ After all, it wasn't as if she could e-mail him, and say "I'm sorry the girl you were interested in dumped you. You don't know me, but want to get some coffee together?"

She reluctantly pulled up a blank message, and found his address in their database. Her hands hovered hesitantly over the keyboard, twitching, not knowing what to type. To say it cold and professionally? Light and apologetic? She'd never really had to write a letter like this. The younger workers had usually taken those jobs. She had considered this her own special project, though, and she would have to be the one to end it.

Kagome began to type steadily. "Dear client....I am sorry to inform you...." And then she stopped. And erased it swiftly. She paused again.

A new thought had swum into her brain. She gulped deeply, a strange sense of fearful adrenaline and excitement running through her veins. It was dangerous, it was against the rules...it was against her own morals. But she couldn't turn away from the idea.

She looked like Kikyo. She was successful and smart like Kikyo. And they both were anonymous. Kagome could write to him.

And he would not know the difference.

She chewed on her lip nervously, torn between her ideals and her emotions. A battle that she hadn't had to fight in years. And the rational part of her was slowly losing, fading away in the bright shine of an imaginary future with an unnamed man.

_I can't get anymore attached to him... _her mind screamed. _I'll only write to him to spare his feelings, to let him down easily, _she convinced herself.

She told herself she would write to him once, and then break it off. After all, that was the only way............

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

**A/N: **Yeesh. Kagome's getting into some dangerous territory, the crazy woman. Well, stick around to see how Inuyasha reacts....to a non-Kikyo letter. Also...what happens when he and Kagome have their first REAL conversation? Not exactly rainbows and bunnies, I can tell you....but nothing in a Takahashi series ever is!

On a sadder note, Inuyasha the anime ended today in Japan on episode 167. I mourn its loss... : (

P.S. ; P oh yeah, and as a result of a review....i KNOW Inuyasha may continue in anime form....I just don't know when or how...Boy, do I hate ambiguity...

P.P.S. Oh, and did I make it clear that Kagome has absolutely no idea who the man she is talking to is? A review I got made me think maybe I didn't make that clear enough.....so, if I didn't make it clear, let me know, so I can fix it!

REVIEW please!


	5. Clouds in My Coffee

**DISCLAIMER**: ::ahem:: A song:: "I don't own Inuyasha, O no I don't...though I wish I could- but I can't, so I won't!" 

**A/N: **Thanks for all the great reviews. You guys are so beyond cool. Well, just wanted to make sure that everyone understands that neither Kagome nor Inuyasha have any idea of who is on the responding end of their emails. Kagome doesn't know the mystery dude is Inuyasha, and Inuyasha still believes he's talking to Miss Kikyo. Ah.... misunderstandings. Where would romantic comedy be without them?

R&R my pretties....

**"A Match Made in Heaven"**

**Chapter 5: Clouds in My Coffee**

"I'll have just plain espresso with cream, thanks. Oh yeah...and a bran muffin...." Kagome tapped her foot a little as she checked her watch. She was already running late. But, there was really no point in going to work at all if she didn't get her coffee. Too many upset clients and atomic waste would lie in her path, if she dared go without caffeine. Not really a good thing.

She shuffled off to the side of the counter, watching nosily as the college-aged boy capped off the Styrofoam coffee cup and slipped her muffin into a paper bag with tongs. Her mouth watered, the simmering smell of the hot beverage swirling under her nostrils. She practically snatched her breakfast from the boy's hands, and swiftly turned on her heel towards the glass doors of the shop.

She was about to rush out the door, when a familiar flash of white grabbed her attention. It was him again....that rude, confusing man from her building. Who knew that they went to the same coffee shop? Of course, it had seemed of late that Fate was very keen on placing the two together in the weirdest of locations.

Kagome paused for a moment, watched as he accepted his food from the server behind the counter. He looked so different than all the other businessmen and women in the shop. Sure, he was wearing a dark suit just like everyone else in the room...but no one else had that beautiful, strange white hair or the sharp eyes that seemed to pierce everything around him with fire.

She shook her head a little to clear her thoughts. _I must drink coffee...it seems my brain is out of whack this early in the day. _She hastily took a sip of the hot drink.

As Inuyasha headed towards her, she stood still at the door, hoping to catch his eye. Because, they hadn't talked for....well, at all, really. Sidelong glances and subtle jabs were the only thing they had exchanged in the past couple weeks. She had decided that if someone was going to start up a decent conversation, it might as well be her, since his stubbornness wasn't very close to giving way.

He glance up casually, and, as he neared the door, saw her standing there, giving him the strangest look. Inuyasha looked slightly confused, and checked around his shoulder for a moment to make sure she wasn't looking at anyone behind him. He approached her, a blankly surprised look blanketing his features.

"Uh.....you waiting for me?" He began, hesitantly.

Kagome nodded, smiling. "I thought we could walk to work together, seeing as we're both in the same building..."

"....Whatever..." he said, his eyes rolling casually, though he felt slightly flattered that she even wanted to spend time with him. After all, they were virtually strangers and had little to no connection.

They stepped out onto the busy sidewalk, the blaring of loud car horns and the smells of ash and exhaust coming to meet them. Inuyasha paused for a second as they left, opening the glass door wide so a mother with a stroller and a young girl in tow could push through to the sidewalk. The mother nodded in harried thanks to Inuyasha, who in turn gave a polite half-smile.

Switching his coffee into his other hand, he turned to see Kagome with a delighted smile on her face. Inuyasha raised a dark eyebrow, noting that she looked slightly crazy. "What's wrong with your face?" He asked, burying a snort in his cup of coffee.

Kagome rolled her eyes in defiance, but her face still shone. "I'm glad to see you can be polite. I didn't know you had it in you!"

Inuyasha frowned. "You act like I'm some kind of criminal. Anyway, I'm surprised I was able to run into you....without you running into _me..._" He raised an eyebrow suggestively, his lips twisting in a smirk.

Kagome colored, remembering their first collision in the parking garage. "That was only ONE time!" Her voice raised as she became embarrassed.

He laughed loudly, seeing her embarrassment. "Only joking...."

Inuyasha smiled to himself as they sped through a crosswalk, two blocks from the tall office building. Who would have thought that his solitary morning walk would be hijacked by the girl in his office building? It seemed as if surprises were everywhere of late. His weekend, in fact, had been littered with them.

Thoughts rushing through his brain, Inuyasha didn't care that his face had somewhat of a dopey grin plastered across it. There were reasons for it, though. He remembered how worried he had been last week over his pen-pal. Throughout their correspondence, she had sounded increasingly depressed and burdened by past demons. He had even worried about her safety. And...then, she wrote to him on Friday night, and all his fears had been assuaged.

It was as if she had become an entirely different person in the space of a day.

She had written a letter that was filled with all the qualities he enjoyed about her...and, yet, there had been more. There was an underlying humor and wit within her words, and she had sounded so much happier. Did this mean she was becoming more comfortable with Inuyasha? Perhaps he was the one that had been able to open up this new door within her. Perhaps even one day soon....she would want to meet him face-to-face.

The thought was altogether frightening and promising. She was such a beautiful person...he had no doubt that she would be beautiful on the outside too.

"So....what's your name?" Inuyasha snapped out of his thoughts just in time to hear the girl's question. He thought for a moment, and then realized....he did not know her name either. They had functioned this long of animosity alone, and hadn't really had any need to call each other by anything but rude names.

He stuffed his free hand in his pocket, as they pushed their way up a hill. The morning breeze was heavier than normal, and whipped their hair around their faces. Her nose and cheeks turned pink under the raw, chilly wind, giving a sparkle to her eyes as she waited for his answer patiently. He had become surprised that he was feeling able to be civil to her. "Uhh....I'm Inuyasha...."

He stuck out one of his hands to meet her small one, and they shook hands while walking. "Kagome Higurashi."

Inuyasha nodded, storing it in his memory. "Kagome. So, Kagome, how often do you ask strangers to walk to work with you? Is it a daily habit, or am I just your _first _victim of stalking?"

Kagome frowned. "Haha, very funny. I don't stalk anybody. I should say the same for you, though. We seem to always be in the same place at the same time. How do I know that you aren't following _me_?" She stared at him inquisitively as she raised her eyebrows, though her eyes twinkled in teasing.

Inuyasha scoffed, as if the thought was preposterous. "Trust me, babe, I wouldn't have any reason to stalk you. I have far better things to do with my time!"

Irritation boiled up inside of her, as she shut her mouth like a trap. "Forget what I said about you knowing how to be polite. It must have been a trick of the eye."

"Touche!" He said, mockingly impressed. "My heart bleeds with the force of your words." He clutched his heart in a fake gesture of pain.

Kagome blushed again. "Ooooh I can't stand you!" Her eyebrow twitched a little, as she clutched onto her coffee, and turned her face against the wind. Of course, as she had found, not every man in the vicinity could be perfect....the only good man it seemed was the anonymous one on the other side of the email correspondence. Not every man could be perfect- like he was.

Inuyasha chuckled silently to himself, finding it amusing how her shoulders tightened up in frustration. He noticed they were approaching the office building, tall and shining with the hundreds of windows reflecting the light of the pale morning sun. They entered in through the front doors, Kagome a few paces ahead of him, wanting to keep her distance. They both darted towards the elevator doors, which were slowly inching their way closed.

Kagome sighed in relief as they made it on time, shuffling to the back. She glared up at him wryly, noticing that he was standing right next to her. "So, what was that about not following me around?" She asked, pointedly.

He over-exaggerated the roll of his eyes, and his voice came back, taunting and nasal like the first time they had met. "Unfortunately, we both ride this elevator."

The shaky elevator was about to start creaking up, when a sudden wave of riders decided to stampede on, as if it was their last escape from the world outside. That was when Inuyasha and Kagome found themselves in a rather uncomfortable position. One second, Kagome had been determined to ignore him for the rest of the ride by flipping through some papers in her briefcase...and the next....they were slammed up next to each other, body upon body, front to front.

She glared, turning her eyes up to look at the man crushed against her. It was difficult not to blush, considering his golden eyes hovered just inches above hers, and were staring back at her in annoyance. Not only that...but she could feel practically every muscle in his chest and his legs. It was far too intimate for a Monday morning...far too intimate with her newest rival who was shaping up to be quite handsome.

"What do you think you're doing?" His voice bit back at her, all of his lightness from their walk disappearing in the space of a few seconds.

Kagome flushed indignantly. "It isn't exactly my choice to be so close to you, you know!" she growled through clenched teeth.

Their body heat radiated together, as they stared each other down, and she wished with all her might that the elevator would rise faster to let them off.

Suddenly, Inuyasha glanced around at all the older men and women in the elevator, and he snickered gently to himself. "Kagome, stop groping me!" He whined, waiting for her reaction.

Her face now heated up to epic proportions, as every single person in the compartment raised an eyebrow.

"Jerk!"

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"....So then Kirara did the cutest thing...she jumped up onto my stomach and made the most adorable noise....Hey, Kagome, are you even listening?" Sango leaned forward to catch her friend's eyes, who had glaze over minutes before.

"What!? Oh....sorry....." Kagome blushed a little, realizing that she had drifted off into her own thoughts for the millionth time that day. It seemed like all she ever thought about anymore was the weird fantasies she kept having. Every word, every situation, and every couple she dealt with would remind her of the possible romance in her life. It was budding like a seed in her....made her giddy with happiness, and also a little regretful at her choice to pretend to be Kikyo.

Because...pretending to be someone else was treading on dangerous ground. It was something that could destroy the integrity of their company...yet it was almost like an attraction she couldn't run away from. If she stopped now, the man would realize what a despicable creature she really was...and she'd lose her chances forever.

"I'm sorry to bore you with my cat stories...I guess it's not as interesting when you're not there...."

Kagome laughed lightly. "No, no...it's not that. Kirara seems far more entertaining than Buyo. Buyo's just a lump of lard...he hasn't jumped at all in about ten years...."

Sango peered into Kagome's face. "You're Ok, then...nothing big happening I should know about?"

Kagome shook her head rapidly. "No...just tired, I guess," she lied.

Sango's face spread into a devious grin as she remembered something. "So, I noticed you've been tracking out favorite couple, lately, huh? Reading the correspondence...." She wagged her finger at Kagome playfully.

"Err....yeah....I guess I'm not supposed to do that, huh?"

Sango giggled. "Don't worry....I've done it before. You really took a liking to that mystery guy, didn't you? I'd say it's something of an addiction..." she winked.

Kagome blushed more than she wanted to, knowing that Sango had no idea that she was pretending to be one of their clients. "I'm not _addicted _to anything, Sango..." she muttered it, knowing that Sango was partly right.

"Sure, hon, sure.....Well, I've got to get more work done. You should too, if you want to get out of here on time!" She left Kagome blushing at her desk.

Kagome glanced across her desk at the mirror on the wall, seeing how dark her face had become. She placed a hand over her hot cheek. Everything was making her blush today.

She sighed to herself. _Just a little bit longer...I'll enjoy this for just a few more days, and then I have to tell him the truth. I can't live in a lie like this any more._

She wished desperately that she could, though.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

**A/N: **Hoo boy Inuyasha and Kagome are so fun to write when they bicker. Kagome needs to get her act straight..otherwise, some bad things are going to happen. And, where is my lovely Miroku? He is the absolute most entertaining character to write, since he's so smooth. Hopefully we'll get some MonkAction! next chapter.

Oh, and if you all wouldn't mind terribly, it would be really cool if you could give my newest story, "Unforgiven," a read. It's much darker and deeper than any of my other stories, but I think it's really good. Plot twists, and such. Miroku and Sango have huge roles in it, and their relationship is slightly more developed than Inuyasha's and Kagome's. Plus, it'll be my fastest-updating story, since I have so much of it written already.

Review please!


	6. Runner in the Night

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Inuyasha...just having to type that takes a little sparkle out of my day.... 

**A/N: **It's been a while since I've update...sorry about that! I've been falling behind in most of my stories, since senior year and AP classes are dragging me down right now. But, I finally was able to finish this chapter, and it's a good one! Some plot development can be found herein ("what plot?" I hear the masses intone XD)

ENJOY....then review....

**"A Match Made in Heaven"**

**Chapter 6: Runner in the Night**

Inuyasha laughed softly to himself, remembering how angry Kagome had become at his little joke in the elevator. She was far too fun to tease. He pushed to the back of his mind, though, how comfortable he had felt standing so close to her. He rolled his eyes at his own thoughts, wondering how he let his mind wander so.

He headed down the hall towards his office, a file clutched in his hand.

He was greeted with a not-so-pleasant view when he arrived. A certain dark-haired pest was already sitting behind his desk, his feet propped up, and his fingers laced behind his head in the most relaxed of poses.

One of Inuyasha's eyebrows twitched dangerously. "So, what gullible dimwit did you weasel into letting you into my office, huh?"

"None other than your own secretary, Inuyasha." Miroku grinned widely.

Inuyasha snorted. "Looks like she needs more training, then."

"What can I say- the ladies just can't resist me!"

"I think I'll call security..." Inuyasha made a mock grab for the phone, and Miroku finally got out of his desk chair.

"Touchy, touchy. Are the security guards female, perhaps?" A mischievous glint appeared in his dark eyes.

"You only wish." Inuyasha plopped down at his desk. "So, why are you here?" He studied the file in his hands, him and Miroku falling into their normal morning banter.

"Just wanted to know how you and your lady friend are getting along." Miroku looked half-interested at the moment though, seeing as though he was leaning out of his chair to catch a glimpse of the secretary's short skirt.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Close the door, you pervert. We're doing fine...great, in fact. She's....really...very different." His voice warmed and softened slightly, and Miroku raised an eyebrow, becoming more intrigued.

"...Different, you say?"

"Well, I can actually hold a decent conversation with her, and she's so interesting...cute...funny. I really feel like she's opened up to me...that she's been able to reveal a whole new part of herself. In fact..." A small smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. "I was planning to ask her to dinner soon."

Miroku looked pleased. "What did I tell you about that dating service place? Those girls work magic!"

"It's not the girls there that work magic...it's this woman, whoever she is. It's almost like pure luck that we were matched....but something about it feels so right."

Miroku felt happy to hear his friend talk like this. It was so rare for Inuyasha to voice his personal thoughts, that it was completely plausible that more than one ice age had passed between admissions. It was a relief to see that the stubborn Inuyasha was finally able to find a woman that suited him.

"Are you sure you want to meet her in person?" Miroku's voice reflected worry.

Inuyasha's eyes shot up for a moment, a glimmer of doubt appearing. "...Why shouldn't we?"

"I'm just afraid when she sees your face, she'll run away out of fright!"

Miroku left Inuyasha's office chuckling, even in the midst of various unrepeatable profanities that issued from his friend's mouth.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Kagome felt numb, her mouth was dry.

There it was staring back at her from her computer screen- the thing that she had both dreaded and dreamed about.

"_Would you like to meet in person?" _the letter had read. She had scanned over the line at least ten times, convincing herself that it was really true.

She chewed on her lip, worriedly, knowing that the card house she had been relying on was about to tumble. If she accepted the invitation, she'd have to explain to him what had happened....and, even if she didn't accept, she'd have to tell him why. Kagome scolded herself inwardly, wondering why she had been so heedless of all the warning signs. It was inevitable that this little charade of hers was bound to fail, but she had kept on with it out of blind hope.

In fact, once everything was said and done...what would happen to her? She had just violated one of the main rules of their business- not to interfere with the clients and their relationships....now she was IN a relationship with a client. Most of all, she feared what he would say if he found out she had deceived them. How could he trust her, if she had lied to him the entire time?

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard hesitantly, as she struggled with how she should respond. Minutes passed, as she looked like a stone statue behind her desk. Finally, after a long moment of deliberation, she settled on the words.

_Dear Friend,_

_I would love to meet you in person, perhaps for dinner later this week. It is important we meet as soon as possible, though. I have something very important I need to tell you._

_-Your Faithful Pen Pal_

Kagome sighed loudly as she sent the message, and she pushed her chair back from her desk. Moving shakily, she went to continue her work for the day.

_I got myself into this mess....now I'll have to find I way to get out of it._

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Inuyasha flashed himself a smile in his hallway mirror, adjusting the collar of his shirt. He hadn't been on a date in a while, at least not one that had caused this much havoc on his nerves. He had thought about it all day, every waking moment. Tonight he would finally meet her! It was a moment he had been waiting for, for what felt like a lifetime.

He reached down to gently pluck off a budding white rose from the vase on the table. He had told her that was how she could identify him- black coat with a white rose in the buttonhole. Inuyasha had never really been one for mushy romantics, but to do something so subtle had sounded appropriate to him. They didn't need fanfare in their first meeting, since it already felt like they were old friends being reunited.

After checking his reflection one last time, Inuyasha grabbed his coat and made his way to the door.

They had agreed to meet at a small, corner Italian restaurant down the street. It was so fitting. Quiet, warm and intimate. It was dimly lit and cozy, with a long bar and a small room of booths and tables. Inuyasha sighed contentedly to himself as he entered. He was quickly ushered by the friendly host to the small booth that he had reserved in the back of the restaurant. Now he would only have to await her arrival.

His mind began to wander over the possibilities. What _would _she be like? So far, he had a hazy view in his mind of what she would look like- the perfect woman. A mishmash of wonderful features- nice figure, bright smile, shining eyes, long legs. Of course, she could have had none of these features....and he still would be pleased with her. Dark hair? Blonde? He didn't know what to expect.

Inuyasha's eyes strolled across the people in the room, the couples absorbed in themselves, the lone businessman in the corner, the large family crowding one booth, and a scattered few women at the bar. He suddenly chuckled a little to himself, as he noticed one of the girls at the bar. _Fancy that she would be here the same night as me. _It was Kagome, sitting alone on one of the barstools, a distressed expression across her face. _I wonder what she's doing here all alone?_

He stared at her for a while, hoping to catch her eye. She looked so forlorn, almost beautiful, her dark hair framing her sweet face. Finally, her eyes shifted in his direction, and she noticed that he was sitting across the room from her. She rolled her eyes at him, indicating through their private joke that she was sick of seeing him everywhere. Her brows then knit into a frown.

Inuyasha snickered under his breath. _I guess she still hasn't forgiven me for my little prank._

Regretfully, Kagome slid off her seat, moving lazily across the room to greet Inuyasha. He noticed that she was dressed nicely- a tight-fitting black cocktail dress and heels. She had obviously not come straight from the office.

"Now this is just getting weird," she said flatly, giving him a smirk.

He grinned deviously, and his eyes shined. She blushed a little at the open way he smiled, though she didn't really know why. Maybe it was because he was usually so taunting towards her, that she didn't know how to react when he was being kind. His lips were curled into an amused smile, and his mood felt light and welcoming. "So, what are you doing here all by yourself?"

She frowned in mock disapproval. "Shouldn't I be asking you the same thing? I'm waiting for someone to show up..."

He laughed aloud. "For your information, I too am waiting for someone- my very hot date!" He looked pleased with himself.

"Yeah..._you _have a hot date? I'd have to see it to...." Suddenly, Kagome trailed off, her face losing all of its color. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, confused at how her face suddenly became so pale.

"I....I have to go!" Without warning, Kagome spun on her heel, and darted through a group of patrons to make it to the door.

Inuyasha sat, stunned, his eyes following the girl out the door.

_Now that's strange...I wonder what's got into her...._

He shrugged dismissively to himself, although he was somewhat disappointed to lose her company. She was the only person in the world he really could tease, and get such a fiery reaction from. He sat back in his chair, sighing and fixing his eyes on the doorway again. Soon, his girl would be here....

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Sango moved around the main office, straightening up the work areas. It was eight o'clock already, and since Kagome had had to leave early, Sango had been in charge of closing up the week's assignments. She clicked off the computer monitors one by one, pushing in all the files to their appropriate spots.

She smiled quietly to herself, and wondered what had caused Kagome to leave in such a hurry. She had seemed in a weird state of excitement the entire day. Could it have been a date? Sango also had been secretly worried that something else had been pressuring Kagome lately. Every day for the past few weeks, she had seemed alternately happy and drained. Her intuition told her that there was something Kagome was hiding.

She yawned and stretched, and noticed that there was a faint light shining from Kagome's office. Sango moved to turn off whatever light had been left on.

"Careless Kagome..." she saw that her friend had accidentally left her computer on, in her haste to leave the office.

Sango crossed to Kagome's desk, seeing that the blue light of the monitor cast pale light on the wall that faced it. She was about to turn off the monitor, when she noticed a letter was open on her e-mail. It was normal for Kagome to leave things open and running on her computer, but Sango usually never read any of it. She couldn't help, now, that her eyes were caught by the words on the page.

She at first assumed that Kagome had been reading the letters of the clients again, and prepared to talk to her about it on Monday. But, as she read further, Sango realized the true intent of a letter, and the air had rushed out of her. This letter was addressed to Kagome, from one of their clients. Everything that had been happening lately suddenly fell into place...Kagome's actions, her moods and her excitement. And this was where she had gone tonight.

_Kagome- what have you done?_

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

**A/N: **Ack! I'd say poor Kagome, but I feel even worse for Inuyasha....he's probably going to sit in that restaurant alone for quite some time, thinking that the girl he was waiting for stood him up. If only he knew that she had already run out on him (It looks like Miroku's prophecy came true! Hahaha)

Please tell me what you think!


	7. Conspiracy Theory

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own Inuyasha. 

**A/N: **Well, it's almost over, folks. One more chapter after this one…and it makes me sad. I love writing this story because it's so silly and fun. I'm sad to let it go…perhaps a short sequel may follow if I get the energy, but I really can't promise anything!

Well, now we get to see how Inuyasha takes rejection. Read on.

**"A Match Made in Heaven"**

**Chapter 7: Conspiracy Theory**

Sango leaned over so she could see through her office doorway. Someone was in the waiting room. What a god-awful hour on a Monday for anybody to be considering dating. Shouldn't sleep should rather be on their mind? Maybe it was becoming an epidemic- after all, the whole ordeal with Kagome had started out with an early morning visit. What new adventures would disrupt their company today?

She sighed, setting down the folders she had been filing, and moved over the rough carpet of the inner office. Before she reached the door, her eye quickly caught who was there, and it made her start in surprise. Miroku was here already!

Not really understanding why, she glanced into the mirror on the wall for a second, puffing up her bangs before she turned to open the door.

_Oh God, Sango…don't act so silly…_she admonished herself.

Miroku looked pleased to see her when she opened the door, and his smile was as infectious as ever. Sango moved to shake his hand, but he shrugged off the formality with a boyish grin. "It's fine, Sango. I'm not here on business…am I?" He stood up, his hands shoved in his pockets, and his stance casual and inviting.

She shook her head wryly in response, as she gestured for him to follow her into her office.

"How are you doing?" she asked, courteously.

Miroku didn't seem to notice the question, as he didn't answer for a few seconds- he was obviously distracted by something very different. Sango stopped walking for a moment, and whipped around to find Miroku's eyes trailing on her back end. His shining eyes met hers, startled, and he gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry, what were you saying…?"

Sango gave him an odd stare, not feeling as much violated as annoyed. "Never mind," she grumbled, crossly. It was too early in the morning to be offended by anything.

He settled himself into the chair across from her desk, resting and ankle across his thigh in the practiced art of comfort. "So why did you call me here? Decided you couldn't live without me?"

She struggled not to let her mouth twitch in a smile. "No, it's about your friend…."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Speaking of the devil, Inuyasha was not having a very good day of his own. Make that utterly miserable. What had promised to be a fantastic weekend had quickly turned dark. He noted that it hadn't been his choice to call a dating service in the first place, and it was a reminder of epic proportions NEVER to let anyone named Miroku handle your love life. He should have known, anyway, not to trust a service like that. After all her promises, the girl had not even show up, let alone bothered to contact Inuyasha to tell him why.

He hunched over the mahogany top of his desk, his eyes not really focused on the pages in front of him, but more interested in burning holes into the wood. Of course, he would never have admitted it aloud, but most of his anger was stemming from disappointment. It was the first time in a long while he had attempted to take a date seriously- and what did he have to show for it? And empty seat next to him at a restaurant, and another dinner eaten alone.

He wasn't one for leaving his desk early under any circumstances, but Inuyasha had begun fervently wishing that there existed some kind excuse for missing work filed under the title of "the wiles of women," or perhaps "the stupidity of your best friend." He smirked bitterly to himself. He was sure some of the interns would be grateful for a new change in policy, if their frat-party hangovers ever got out of control.

"Uh….Mr. Tanaka?"

His secretary had poked her head in warily to ask Inuyasha a question, and now she looked as if she were very much regretting her decision to do so.

He snapped his head up, and she looked frightened for a moment. "I wanted to ask if you wanted any coffee…I…um…" His glare was unwavering, and she fingered the doorknob nervously. "Er..never mind." She shut the door carefully behind her with a nervous squeak.

Inuyasha shook himself after a moment, sighing when he realized he must have scared the girl half to death. He made a mental note to give her a bonus. He, of course, was the king of wild mood swings, and the girl had weathered them all in the past year or so.

He pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes for a moment, before glancing at the clock. This day promised to be never-ending.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Miroku raised his eyebrows. "About Inuyasha?"

"Inuyasha- that's his name?"

Miroku nodded. "Yeah- last I heard he had invited that girl of his out to dinner…then, when I called him the other night, he said it hadn't worked out. I didn't ask much, because he certainly didn't seem in the mood to talk about it. Seems like she did a number on him, poor guy."

Sango sighed, wondering again why she had decided to put herself in the situation of being mediator. She had yet to even talk to Kagome. She had been too angry the entire weekend to even think of calling her friend. She had remembered rather quickly, though, that Kagome's happiness was far more important than her own personal bitterness over being lied to."Well….here's the problem. The girl that your friend asked on a date? That was my partner, Kagome."

Miroku was quiet for a moment, and was as if Sango could see reality hitting him, and then logic striking him with an even harder blow that destroyed all possibility. "But, how is that possible? I was under the impression that you girls had matched him with another of your clients and not…well, not yourselves!"

Sango felt shame creeping up one, knowing that a situation like this shouldn't have happened. She supposed that she should have been glad that Miroku and her were friendly, otherwise this conversation would have been far more indicative of their company's failures. "Well, I'm not really quite sure how it happened. We had originally matched Inuyasha with a client, but somewhere along the line, Kagome took her place. I can't explain it just yet." She bit her lip, nervously.

Miroku's face withdrew of all its previous shock, and a playful smile formed on his lips. "But I thought you said I wasn't here on business…."

She nodded. "Yeah, I didn't…" she took a deep breath in, hoping that Miroku would accept what she had to propose. Wanting to forgive Kagome didn't mean she couldn't act deviously. That's where Miroku would come into play. She had witnessed that he was not exactly an amateur in setting up friends without their knowledge.

"I wanted to help our friends out. I know that what Kagome has done is wrong, but if I know her, she regrets ever getting into this situation. Even more importantly, I know the last thing she would ever want to do is hurt any of us." She met Miroku's eyes steadily. "And ...I can't speak for Inuyasha….but I believe that Kagome would have a hard time giving him up."

Miroku was silent for a few seconds, and he leaned back fully into his chair. "So, you want me to help you, I gather?"

She let the smile grow on her face. "I want us to help each other."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Kagome was having a day of a very similar sort to Inuyasha's.

She had felt lost all weekend, the full weight of her decision to write to Inuyasha falling upon her as she caught a taxi home on the night of their date. She had first had to get over the fact that the man she had fallen for was the same man she saw every morning on the elevator. Worse, she had realized with a shock that he didn't know that she was his date. Inuyasha probably believed that his pen pal had chosen to stand him up.

She had considered not coming to work at all, but she was the one who had gotten herself into this mess in the first place. She knew that moping at home wouldn't solve her problems. Plus, she didn't want to arouse the suspicions of her coworkers. No one had found out yet what had happened, and she was just as happy keeping it that way.

She decided against the elevator as she entered the building, knowing that if she were to meet Inuyasha she would be mortified. So, she was content to take the stairs- all fifteen flights of them- if it was to spare her self from further embarrassment.

Ten flights up, she realized her own mistake, and wondered why in the world matchmakers couldn't wear tennis shoes to the office.

Kagome reached the MatchMake office with little to no breath in her, and received concerned stares from the girls at the computers, as they watched their frazzled boss stumble in to the main room, gasping for air.

Kagome nodded a quick "hello" to them, but he chief goal was to get to her private office as quickly as possible. She had a feeling that, if Sango were to take one look at her face, she would know that something was wrong.

She tried to sneak quietly in front of Sango's open door, but her plan didn't work. Sango's head snapped up, hearing Kagome as she tried to speed to her office. She greeted Kagome sweetly. "Good Morning, Kagome. How are you?"

Kagome faked a smile, and could feel it wavering. "Just fine." What an outright lie.

"That's good."

Did Sango know? Could she read the thoughts that were running through her head right now? _Kagome, you're acting paranoid. _She quickly darted into her own office and shut the door behind her, leaning up against it in relief.

Watching Kagome slink away, Sango grinned deviously to herself.

_Just you wait, Kagome…_

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

**A/N: **I know, it was kinda short, but I hope you liked it. There will be one more chapter, but you'll discover exactly what evil Miroku and Sango are planning for their best friends, and what the reaction will be. Will Inuyasha forgive Kagome when he finds out what she'd done? Will Kagome be able to get over her embarrassment? Whatever the outcome, I say an angry Inuyasha will at least be better than a moping one….


	8. The Way You Make Me Feel

**DISCLAIMER**: Inuyasha is so elusive, that I just haven't been able to get a hold of him…if you see him, please let him know that I've been trying to find him. 

**A/N: **I'm very sad right now. I really love this story, and I hate that it's going to end here. It was such a great ride- thanks to everyone that reviewed and supported this story. I hope the final chapter does it justice.

**"A Match Made in Heaven"**

**Chapter 8: The Way You Make Me Feel**

Inuyasha scowled to himself, his fingers sliding impatiently on the rough tablecloth. Around him were the familiar, cheerful sounds of a bustling restaurant. Utensils clinked merrily against salad plates, and soft jazz drifted from the keys of the grand piano on the terrace.

He should have been pleased that he had been invited to such a swanky place for lunch, but considering who had invited him, the price and food quality didn't do him much good. Miroku, the cheat that he was, rarely if ever bought lunch for anyone..unless he was dining with a beautiful woman, that is.

Inuyasha pushed up the sleeve of his gray suit jacket, his fingers now drumming angrily on the table. Where was that fool? He flashed his eyes to the hands of his wristwatch. Miroku was late yet again, and he hadn't even bothered to tell Inuyasha what was so urgent that lunch would be imperative.

He slumped a little more in his chair, impervious to the glances of the diners at the tables around him. He supposed it wasn't very settling to the stomach to have an angry-looking man muttering curses right next to you, but Inuyasha didn't care. He had far better things to do with his time then wait for his friend. He had given him plenty of leeway with the dating service project of his, which had failed horribly. In fact, he considered grumpily, Inuyasha had given Miroku a lot of leeway with his entire life…and he hadn't gotten much good out of it insofar.

He looked up, to see an impudent kid with a bowl cut and a face full of macaroni giving him a wide-eyed stare. He wasn't in the mood. Inuyasha made a face that would scare any small child. The kid stuck out his tongue, and turned back to the mess of pasta on his plate. Sadly, scaring children hadn't improved his mood.

The frown deepened.

On the other side of the dining room, a woman entered, visibly flustered at being late. The host took one look at her, admiring her beautiful features, before leaning forward to ask for the name of the reservation. She gave it to him quickly, and he obligingly weaved through the maze of circular tables to direct her towards her seat.

Inuyasha looked up casually as the waiter approached, and small smile began to lift his lips. "So, Kagome- still not ready to give up on me?" He grinned widely at her, thinking about how she was everywhere these days.

The smile faltered slightly, as he saw the blood practically drain from her cheeks. The waiter had stopped moving, and was pulling out the chair across from Inuyasha. "Here is your seat, miss." Kagome looked positively cornered.

Inuyasha's left eyebrow flew into oblivion, as he stared at the waiter. "But, I'm waiting here for a friend…this must be some mistake."

Kagome's mouth had shut like a trap, and a deep, mottled blush had risen into her face. She plunked her body down into the chair that the waiter was now holding uncertainly, loathe to actually meet Inuyasha's eyes.

"No….I don't actually think it's a mistake." She said it so quietly, that it was a wonder that anyone had heard her. It was the loudest she could manage, without instead screaming in embarrassment.

The host, giving Kagome a doubtful look, decided quickly that whatever mix-up had occurred wasn't his problem, and he returned on his sojourn to the front desk. All the while, Inuyasha had been fixing the girl sitting across from him with a piercing stare. Why was it that Kagome looked so mortified? And why was she sitting at his lunch table? Not that he really minded, though…he would have chosen Kagome over Miroku any day.

"Not to be rude, but I was planning to meet a friend here…" He eyed her warily. Kagome was turning her head this way and that, craning her neck frantically to get a better view around the room. She looked rather insane. "…Are you okay?"

She stopped, taking a deep breath, and finally willing herself to face Inuyasha. "We've been set up."

"Set up?! Are you sure you're not mental?"

"Before that…I have something very important to tell you- something that I should have told you long ago. I suppose that's the reason we're both here today." She clenched her purse in her lap, thankful that Inuyasha couldn't see her fingers tying impossible knots in the leather strap.

He raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest, and sitting back expectantly as if waiting for her to do a trick.

"Remember last Friday when I saw you at the restaurant….?"

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Sango ducked in quietly, adjusting her glasses and hat inconspicuously, and darting to the booth that sat below a window. She noticed with mute satisfaction and amusement that Miroku was already seated at the booth, his attention currently focused on something at the other side of the room.

She slid into the booth across from him, waiting for him to notice her as she stripped herself of the makeshift disguise.

"So, how is everything going?"

Miroku stuck out a hand to shush her, not even turning to look her way. "Shh! Kagome just sat down! She's saying something to him!"

Sango looked down at his outthrust hand, annoyed, and shot him a dry glare. "I really don't see why we had to come here to spy on them. I mean, we were pretty disingenuous in tricking them to come here, but do we really have to act this sneaky?"

He frowned, still fixated on Inuyasha and Kagome across the room. As if he could read lips, anyway. "Ah! I think he's about to kiss her!"

Sango flipped around with almost breakneck speed, trying to move so she could see. "Where?!"

She glared angrily when she heard his laughter next to her. "He's not kissing her, Sango…See? I told you this would be fun!" His eyes twinkled teasingly at her.

"And, what's this about not acting sneaky? Who walked in here wearing a ball cap and sunglasses?" He pointed indicatively at the clothing items on the table.

Sango slumped down in the booth, pouting irritably. "Okay, okay…" she admitted, grudgingly. "I suppose a bit of me wanted to see if we could pull it off. I guess it did work though, huh? I mean, Kagome hasn't run out on him just yet."

Miroku nodded, glancing back over his shoulder at their friends. "Yeah…I just hope that Inuyasha doesn't come off as a big of an asshole as he normally does…that might just get her to leave." He smirked wryly.

Sango nodded contemplatively. "You're correct, but if you look at their relationship…." She stopped talking and groaned at herself. "We're sounding like sports announcers!"

He grinned, obviously not fazed at all by the comment. Suddenly, he ducked down low to the table, dragged Sango's head down with him. He had snatched up their menus, making a temporary shield to cover them from view.

"Yeah, that's real smooth. I'm sure that if they hadn't noticed us before, they sure will now!"

Miroku looked regretful. "I'm just being cautious…"

She noticed that his nose was only a few inches away, and she backed away hastily, though still trying to keep in the cover of the menus. "I still can't believe I'm doing this!"

"Wait…who dragged me to their office to plan something out, hm?" He one-upped her with a smooth smile.

"It wasn't my suggestion to come here-"

She was cut off by their waiter, who was looming over them in a kind of miffed concern. He 'ahem-ed', holding his order pad in his hand. "Can I get you two lovebirds anything for lunch?" He winked at them, and Sango suddenly noticed what they must have looked like, holed up in the booth together.

She colored bright red. "We're not lovers!"

Miroku just sat back, smiling indulgently at the waiter.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Kagome didn't know what to make of Inuyasha's stare. It was, if nothing, very intimidating. He had looked at her strangely when she said she had something important to tell him, and from that point on his eyes had hardened further and further. It wasn't anger she saw, but she couldn't really read the expression.

"And…" her fingers had stopped fumbling with her purse, but were feeling clammy through the thin cotton of her skirt. "So I kept reading your letters to Kikyo…I know, I know…it was a really stupid thing to do. But I couldn't help it!" The words were coming out in a rush.

Inuyasha put up a hand to stop her speech for a moment, his face looking doubtful. "Hold up…if I really was writing to a woman named Kikyo, then why were you at the restaurant?"

Kagome sighed. "Kikyo contacted me weeks ago to tell me that she had to break off the correspondence with you. She said that her ex-boyfriend and her had been having a lot of trouble-"

Inuyasha nodded, muttering to himself. "….That might explain a few things.."

"-and that they had decided to give it another try. Usually at that point we'd tell the other partner that it was over….But…." she hesitated.

"But…?"

"I decided to…pretend to be Kikyo instead." Kagome cringed, as if she were waiting for the blow to strike.

The table was silent for a moment, as if Inuyasha were trying to find the right words to respond. "You….why?"

It was the only thing he could think of to say. He was pretty shocked by the entire ordeal…after all, the strange woman in his office building that he had had acquaintance with over the past couple of months…had been his secret love affair? It was almost too mind-boggling for him to grasp all at one time. And, now that he knew she was behind it all, he wanted to know why she had chosen him out of every other one of her clients.

"It's because you're different." She finally met the stare, which at first had been unnerving, and now had softened considerably. "Everyone else is greedy with love…they want their trophy wife… or…or some cheap tramp. You weren't like that…your letter was honest and beautiful and…." She blushed and stammered, realizing that she was saying too much.

Inuyasha sat back in his chair, looking miffed. "You thought it was beautiful?"

She nodded, embarrassed. "I guess now that you know it was me all along, you're going to tell me what a horrible person I am…right?"

He was quiet again, and it was almost like torture. It was a strange position to be in- hanging on Inuyasha's every word this expectantly. She was used to bickering with him…not asking for his forgiveness.

"No, I won't do that. But I still have to wonder what sexual deprivation leads a woman to steal someone else's anonymous pen pal!" his eyes were teasing her again, and she blushed bright red. She supposed she deserved the quip though, and decided on keeping her mouth shut.

"And…er…" his voice was soft now, and he shifted with slight discomfort. "I guess…I guess I'm not too disappointed that it was you…." He mumbled it grudgingly, studying the table setting intently. She wondered how the man that had infuriated her on so many occasions was suddenly looking like an embarrassed child. She grinned inwardly. It probably wasn't every day that he told a girl he liked her.

"Me neither…"

His eyes flashed up to her, and she smiled. Her hands weren't sweating any more, and her seat was feeling more comfortable.

"Now…where's the little sneak?" Inuyasha's eyes were quickly scanning the corners of the dining room, searching something out.

"Huh?"

"Miroku! He was the one who called me and set this whole thing up!"

"Make that two sneaks! Sango told me…." Kagome paused for a moment, realization hitting her with sudden force. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, and then she gasped in horror. "They were working together!"

"Who's Sango?"

"She's my partner…she must have found out somehow, and decided to fix things…I'll bet you anything that this was her idea- oh!" She snapped her eyes back to Inuyasha, her voice hissing in a whisper. "They're over there… _watching us._" He followed where her eyes had been looking, and he noted dryly his friend and a dark-haired woman trying and ultimately failing to remain inconspicuous in a corner booth.

Inuyasha's lips began to widen in an almost frightening smile, and his voice lowered deviously. "I think I have an idea, Kagome."

She raised an eyebrow, before the light bulb lit in her own thoughts. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

He snickered. "I think we're just going to have to give them a taste of their own medicine. After all, they look so _cute _in their little spy outfit. It would be only fitting…"

She laughed, suddenly thankful to Miroku and Sango's plan. "I think you're right."

Inuyasha flickered another glance to the other two, before he reached out to snatch Kagome's hand in his. "Follow me." His smile was deliciously devious. On the count of three, she followed him through the tables towards to exit, knowing that Miroku and Sango were probably watching them in open-mouthed confusion.

Right before they left, Kagome was stunned to find herself wrapped in Inuyasha's arms, his mouth pressed over hers, leaving them both shocked and breathless. He smirked slightly to himself, feeling her melt into him, and her fingers fumbling around his neck. He retreated after a moment, finding her face flushed in surprise.

"I'm glad it was you, Kagome."

"Me too."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

**A/N: **So, its over….I know it was a little corny, but I hope you loved the chapter as much as I loved writing it! I've made some revisions since I first posted it, and I may go in to edit some more later.

I hope to write more stories like this in the future, and I hope you'll continue reading them!


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